Gorge runners face district competition this week

Tri-Valley Conference

The Dalles High School girls, this season guided by first-year head Coach Mandi Williams, have won three successive Tri-Valley Conference titles. Four runners return from the 2025 championships varsity team, including Flamingo Duyck who was third last fall and has the fastest 5,000-meter time among TVC runners this season.

Also back are Rozlynn Elliott (fifth 2025), Josie Brace (eighth), and Alessandra Meza (ninth). Marley Perry was 16^th at district as a sophomore but did not run cross country last season and Gabriela Dominguez Bahena is The Dalles’ No. 5 runner (she was sixth in the district JV meet in 2025).

The Dalles girls have qualified for the state meet the past seven seasons that the meet has been held.

The Dalles boys have a six straight state meet streak going. The Riverhawks were second at district the past three seasons - in 2025 behind Molalla which returns five of seven runners from that title team. The Riverhawks’ top three runners most of the season – in some order - have been Luke Sorenson (eighth district 2025), Lazarus Taylor (ninth), and Zeb Stelzer (11^th).

Northwest Oregon Conference

Sandy has made the biggest impact in the revamped Northwest Oregon Conference since dropping down from Class 6A. The Pioneer girls are favored to win the district title among the seven league teams.

Coach Laura Haspela’s Hood River Valley Eagles were third in the NWOC girls district race a year ago and earned a wild card berth to the state meet. The Eagles are led by the district runner-up in 2025, junior Savina Davis. She is joined in the varsity lineup by Isabel Ulland, Freya Nelson and Noah Crain – each who have district meet experience.

The Hood River boys also finished third at the 2025 district meet, improving their state meet qualifying streak to five seasons. HRV is favored to win the boys title with three runners - Gus VandenHeuvel, Josh Carley and Sam Schwager – ranking 2-3-4 in the conference based on their fastest times this season. The Eagles’ first through fifth runners (point scorers) placed within 44 seconds of each other in their most recent meet. That type of pack running often wins district titles.

WIAA District 4

Coach Jim Anderson’s Columbia High School boys and girls cross country teams each competed at the 2025 WIAA state meet. Three-time Trico League champion Lilah Zimmerman and Kathryn O’Connor lead the Bruin girls; Jack Brooks, Luther Thomas, Oliver Brokenshire and Colby Clark top the list of returning Columbia boys with state meet experience. Freshman Owen Becker-Nunley has consistently been among the top five in the Bruins’ varsity lineup this season.

The Bruin girls were second at district in 2025 and the Columbia boys were fourth. This fall, Columbia, Seton Catholic and Stevenson are closely ranked behind district girls team favorite La Center. Seton Catholic is favored in the boys race while Columbia and La Center lead the chase pack.

Trout Lake

Trout Lake senior Melody Stock and frosh teammate Felicity Peck will be among the top girls runners at the District 4-2A/1A meet in Pendleton. The OSAA changed its rules this year to allow 2A/1A schools to field four-member teams (vs. five) to compete in the state meet. Union is the girls favorite to earn the district’s automatic berth to state, but Trout Lake, Heppner/Ione and Grant Union figure to be in the mix for wild card berths.